Starting Work with Curiosity

Training marks the start of a new phase in life. This is the case this September for eight young people at STAHL CraneSystems in Künzelsau. Successfully training young workers is extremely important for the leading manufacturer of explosion-proof crane and hoisting equipment. Particular attention has been paid for many years to making apprenticeships in the Künzelsau plant as interesting and varied as possible. The time has come again this year, on 4 September: The apprentices and students will be officially welcomed to STAHL CraneSystems. This marks the start of the serious side of life, but in the nicest possible way.

It isn’t easy deciding on a future career after school. Everyone has to select from the many options available and find their own individual path. As a medium-sized company and international specialist in explosion-proof crane technology, STAHL CraneSystems supports young adults in making this decision. With a wide range of apprenticeship and study options, the company offers the possibility of trying out and learning a variety of careers.

By completing a placement at STAHL CraneSystems, school pupils and students can gain initial career experience and an insight into the work of a globally operating company. Placements are possible here in all the careers requiring training: industrial mechanics, electronics and industrial electrical systems. 18 apprentices are currently working in these career areas at the Künzelsau factory.

For some years now, STAHL CraneSystems, together with five nearby companies, has been involved in the joint training initiative known as the “GABI Initiative”. GABI (from the German “Gemeinsame AusBildungs­Initiative”) networks the apprentices in the participating companies, so that premises, machinery and equipment can be shared. All the specialist trainers in the participating companies are available to all the trainees through a job rotating scheme. This means that the apprentices can expand their knowledge and experience beyond the bounds of the individual company.

Alongside the apprenticeships, STAHL CraneSystems, in cooperation with the Mosbach Cooperative State University, offers university study places in the field of mechanical engineering. In addition, the company also works with the Reinhold-Würth-University in Künzelsau: In a cooperative study programme, the students can gain practical experience in the STAHL CraneSystems production, acquire a qualification as an electronics technician for equipment and systems and subsequently round off their knowledge with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Seven students are currently supplementing their theoretical university knowledge in STAHL CraneSystems’ production plant.

Both apprentices and students go through various production work stages at STAHL CraneSystems. They get to know the entire gamut of manufacturing at the traditional company, ranging from production of the smallest gear wheel to the rope drum and the controls. “At STAHL CraneSystems, I’m constantly being stretched, and I have the opportunity to train further. I can get to know the latest technologies and working methods directly and can be present at all the stages in production,” reports 17-year-old apprentice Selim Benderdour, who started training to become an industrial mechanic in 2016.

Another important aspect of the training at STAHL CraneSystems is strengthening the community of apprentices and students. At the beginning of every new training year, three-day familiarisation sessions are held in Kocherstetten. Camping out in the open breaks the ice between the young people immediately. Excursions or shared sporting activities weld the apprentices and students closer together outside the world of work.

As a responsible employer, STAHL CraneSystems pays all apprentices and students according to the IGMetall collective wage agreement. For the world market leader, bonuses for outstanding achievements, help with the costs of travel to vocational college or for books are just as much part of normal wages as participation in the pension module or contributions to employee pension capital formation.

The career opportunities in the crane technology industry are good. As a solid company with innovative products, STAHL CraneSystems is in a stable position to offer trainees very good chances of being taken on after completing their training. “There will always be a market for good, long-lasting products,” Thomas Kraus, Head of STAHL CraneSystems Support Centre, is convinced.